VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND EARLIER 1933-1936 Happy 75th Anniversary - Suburban

I saw this today and thought it would be proper for VCCA.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap_travel/20100503/ap_tr_ge/us_travel_brief_gm_suv_anniversary

I learned how to drive in Mom and Dad's 1971 Suburban, Took my drivers test in it also. Now I have a 1999 Suburban of my own. They are always a very comfortable ride.

What are your stories of this iconic US car / truck....

Probably not a great "daily driver" type vehicle. However....

When you need one to carry lots of people or lots of stuff or both, they're
terrfic!! And they seem to go forever, with minimal service.

I've borrowed several for road trips, taking kids to college, etc etc.
I'd kinda hate to own one in the city for all the obvious reasons.
But for their intended purpose(s), they're great!!

I'd definitely vote YES!!!!

Congrats on 75 years....

Bill.

Since 1976 I have owned 3 Suburbans and 2 Tahoes. Our first Surburban was a 76 4x4 with a 400 engine and we traveled a lot with two kids in a travel trailer. When the Tahoe came out we got our first one in 2001 put over 150K miles on it. The Tahoe is just right for the two of us for towing or traveling.
We now have a 05 Tahoe with 95K miles on it. We like them because they ride well, much better than the Dodge Rams that my son prefers) and get much better gas milage 19 compared to 14 in the Dodge on the highway.
When GM decided to quit making a rear wheel drive sedan, we decided to buy Tahoes or Suburbans as long as our friends in Arlington, Texas will build them!

Thanks for posting this, cool info.

I grew up in a 77 Suburban, metallic brown with a 454, TH400, and 12 bolt rear. My parents would pack us up and go camping all over the place pulling a 40 ft Cobra camping trailer. Really miss those days. I got my license and Dad let me drive it around. I was a familiar spot @ the gas station filling up the 40 gallon tank. Had a 3/4" copper line running to the quadrajet, I think the speedometer and fuel gauge were connected. The worse part was Dad showed me how to flip the air cleaner lid to really make the glass packs sound off. I really miss that truck, everyone knew it was Dad.

Yep, the trick about flipping the aircleaner lid was supposed to work to give extra power and additional cooling , don't think it did, on the 76 400 SBC also (QJet) dual exhaust, no cat converter, it was rated as a 5/8 ton so was exempt. Pulling the grade up to Santa Fe NM Pulling the 32 foot Coachman with the A/C on and the transmission cooler and oil cooler in front of the radiator the fan ran full time and you could have barbequed a couple of goats under the hood while trying to maintain the speed limit. The next day I had to replace the fuel pump, because it would starve out. I remember it well because I had to pay $0.759 per gallon for gasoline in Colorado.

It's a car, it's a truck, it's an icon. What more could you ask of a vehicle. Nothing gets me more excited in the old car world than an early "Burb". I have a '38 waiting for me. I wish I was working on it right now.
Most people have no idea they have been around so long. Whenever GM decides to trot one out for publicity purposes, they refer to 1935 but the truck is always a 1936. Maybe they cant find a '35.
I love 'em.

Mike

HA!!! Funny thing is, they would have fit under the hood!

Dang!!! Wish that my '36 Suburban was finished for the
Diamond Anniversary!

I started driving Suburbans before they were Cool and still driving one. Seats up = People Hauler, seats down = Truck or Cargo Hauler.